- HOA-Asia Conference 2023: Back after COVID-19Please join Highlights of American Society of Hematology Asia (HOA-Asia) 2023 Meeting in Vietnam From March 9-11, 2023. For more details, please visit.https://www.hematology.org/meetings/highlights/asiaJoin our society to register at discounted rates and to get other benefits.
- "Highlights of ASH" meetings back to normal after COVID-19 (https://www.hematology.org/meetings/highlights/mediterranean): A promotional message by Pakistan Society of Molecular and Clinical Hematology)
February 17-18, 2023
Istanbul, Turkey
Join the world's leading hematology experts at Highlights of ASH in the Mediterranean, a two-day program that highlights the most influential research presented at the latest ASH annual meeting, the premier event in malignant and classical (non-malignant) hematology. ASH is pleased to conduct this year’s series as in-person meetings; there will not be a virtual meeting platform.
-Member of Pakistan Society of Clinical and Molecular Hematology (PSMH) selected as “Ambassador in Hematology” by “American Society of Hematology (ASH) for promotion of state-of-the-art research and its implementation in promoting and innovating clinical care related to blood disorders, specifically hematological malignancies. First meeting of “Ambassadors in Hematology” will take place doing “Highlights of ASH-Asia Conference in Feb 2022. Strategies to will be discussed and new action plans will be formulated. For contributions of PSMH in the field, please visit section “Scientific Accomplishments”.
-Please attend Highlights of ASH-Asia (HOA-Asia) 2020 Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.
March 2018: During Highlights of American Society of Hematology Asia (HOA-Asia) meeting held at Bali Indonesia from 9-10th March 2018, findings of scientists from PSMH were greatly appreciated for their discover of ANKRD36 as novel genes associated with deadly blast crisis in chronic myeloid leukemia. Furthermore, discovery of novel genes associated with long-term response in CML were greatly acknowledged for their future implication in STOP-IMATINIB trails.
President PSMH served as moderator of the session on chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPDs) at Highlights of American Society of Hematology Asia (HOA-Asia) meeting held at Bali Indonesia from 9-10th March 2018.
March 2018: PSMH sent five trainees to participate in Highlights of American Society of Hematology Asia (HOA-Asia) meeting held at Bali Indonesia from 9-10th March 2018. The trainees from the society had the opportunity to discuss their research findings with international experts in hematology and cancer.
Dec 2017: A research team lead by Dr. Zafar Iqbal and Dr. Tanveer Akhtar got American Society of Hematology (ASH) Abstract Achievement Award for their research leading to discovery of some novel mutations and genes associated with CML advanced and blast crisis phases. This study was the first attempt to find new leukemia causative genes in Pakistani population which will provide new insights into cancer pathogenesis and to find novel drug targets and disease biomarkers for cancers. The findings were presented as ASH Annual Meeting Atlanta Georgia (Dec 2017).
"Zafar Iqbal, Salman Basit, Abid Jamil, Muhammad Absar, Anhar Ullah, Sibtain Afzal, et al. Disovery of Novel Mutations Exclusively Shared By Accelerated and Blast Crisis Phase CML Patients Using Whole Exome Sequencing:Implication in Hunt for Common Biomarker /Drug Target of CML Progression. Blood 2017 130:2886 ((ASH 2017 Meeting Abstracts). http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/130/Suppl_1/2886"
Dec 2016: Scientists of the society in collaboration with hematologists from King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Saudi Arabia discovered the strong correlation between "Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound Velocities" and protective effects of Hemoglobin F Expression against risk of first stroke in Pediatric Sickle Cell Patients. This study was presented at ASH Annual Meeting, San Diego, Dec 3-7 2016 and published in "Blood (online)" http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/128/22/3665.
October 2016: ASH abstract achievement award was given to scientists of the society for their meritorious research work accepted for presentation at ASH Annual Meeting, San Diego, Dec 3-7 2016. This study was published as a brief research report in "Blood (online)" http://www.bloodjournal.org/content/128/22/3089.
Jan 2016: Mr. Muhammad Absar completed his MPhil degree in molecular hematology under supervision of Dr Zafar Iqbal and Prof Tanveer Akhtar on research topic " Novel compound mutations associated with nilotinib resistance in CML patients" from University of the Punjab Lahore Pakistan.
Nov 2014: ASH abstract achievement award announced for PSMH researcher team headed by Dr Zafar Iqbal for second consecutive year. This award was given for their research work related to compound BCR-ABL mutations associated with imatinib and nilotinib resistance in CML patients.
August 2014: Dr Noreen Awan (PSMH member) has been awarded PhD degree for his work on molecular genetic basis of poor response in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This work was supervised by Prof Tanveer Akhtar and Dr Zafar Iqbal, and PhD thesis was evaluated at Harvard University USA and University of Turin Italy. This is second PhD awarded to PSMH/HOPES group in last one year in the field of Clinical Molecular Hematology (Molecular & Genetic Medicine), after Dr Tashfin Awan had been awarded PhD degree in late 2013.
August 2014: Sana Shahbaz and Afia Akram submitted their PhD thesis related to molecular genetics of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and BCR-ABL mutations associated with imatinib resistance and disease progression in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), under supervision of Prof Tanveer Akhtar and Dr Zafar Iqbal.
June 2014: Dr Zafar Iqbal and Dr Aamir Aleem participated in
European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting held in Milan Italy
from 11-15th June 2014. Dr Zafar Iqbal discussed the projects related to clinical trials for dasatinib in very high incidence BCR-ABL positive pediatric ALL with several collaborators and funding agencies.
March 2014: Dr Zafar Iqbal and Muhammad Hassan Siddiqi were invited by American Society for Hematology (ASH) to participate in ASH-Highlights Asia Meeting 2014 held in Singapore (March 29-30). Dr Zafar Iqbal c-chaired the session on "Genomics in Hematology" where Dr Charles Mulligan from St Jude Children Hospital USA updated about recent updates on the topic, with inclusion of PCMH/HOPES group work on genetics of acute leukemia in South Asian Countries, which was presented in ASH Annual Meeting at New Orleans USA held in December 2013.
December 2013: Dr Zafar Iqbal received "Abstract Achievement Award" from American Society for Hematology during ASH Annual Meeting held at New Orleans USA. Dr Zafar Iqbal and Prof Dr Aamir Aleem presented their poster regarding genetics of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which reports highest incidence of BCR-ABL positive pediatric ALL. This study was part of PhD works of Mr Tashfeen Awan (2010-2013) and Dr Zafar Iqbal (2003-2007), contributed by Miss Noreen Sabir, under supervision of Prof Tanveer Akhtar and Dr Zafar Iqbal .
9th October 2013: Research article titled "High Frequency of BCR-ABL/t(22;9) Translocation as Detected by RT-PCR and Interphase FISH in Pediatric B-Cell ALL Patients Identifies the Need for Immediate Inclusion of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Pediatric ALL Treatment Protocols" has been accepted for poster presentation at American Society for Hematology annual meeting 2013.
8th October 2013: Dr Imran Razzaq has been appointed as head of bioinformatics section of Pakistan Society for Molecular and Clinical Hematology.
17th August 2013: Mr. Tashfeen Awan and Noreen Sabir, the associate members of the society , have completed their PhD studies in Clinical Molecular Hematology, and have submitted their thesis to University of the Punjab Lahore Pakistan. Dr Zafar Iqbal and Professor Tanveer Akhtar supervised the studies, along with clinical collaborators from Children Hospital, National Institute for Child Health Lahore, Post Graduate Medical Institute Lahore, Sheikh Zyed Hospital Lahore and Jinnah Hospital Lahore Pakistan.